Shoveling-machine



F. H. ARMSTRONG.

SHOVELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.10. 1920.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- F. H. ARMSTRONG.

SHOVELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10. 1920.

Patented Dec. 7, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR UNITED STATES PATENT oer-"ice.

FRANK H. ARMSTRONG, or VULCAN, MICHIGAN.

sEovpLme-MAcHmE.

To all iv/1.0 m, it may concern lie it known that I, FRANK H. ARM STRONG, a citizen of the United States, and a res1- dent of Vulcan, in the county of Dickinson and State of Michigan, have made a new and useful Invention in shoveling-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to shoveling machines or loaders designed to shovel loose material such as coal, zinc ore and the like a from a pile and transfer it to cars at either during its forward movement prehminary to the upward swmg; the provision of an improved and simplified means for controlling the dumping unloading operation. of

the shovel; the provision of a construction which can be operated where there is a minimum amount of head room; and in general, the provision of a simplified and improved machine of the type specified which is of relatively light, compact form. which is free from any complicated mechanism liable to get out of order. which is not liable to breakage due to the meeting of unexpected resistance in the material shoveled, and which can be operated to shovel with great rapidity and handle a wide variety of materials. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein;

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine, Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing-the shovel in one position, andFig. 3 is a side elevation of-the bucket and its. operating arm when in discharge position,

Bfri-efiy stated, the apparatus in its pre ferred form embodies-thefollowing constri'iction, A truck is; provided upon which is-"mounted a turntable carrying a super structure or framework provided at the upper portion thereof with a track extending forwardly past the front of the machine. 011 this track is mounted a carriage carrying a depending arm pivoted to the carriage at its upper end and provided with a shovel at its lower end.

The carriage is moved back and forth Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7-, 1920.

Application filed January 10, 1920. Serial No. 350,584.

upon the track by means of a cylinder or ram and the arm carrying the shovel is swung about its pivotal support b means of a second cylinder or ram. Bot of these cylinders 01' rams are carried upon the supporting framework and the arrangement is such that the carriage may be moved forward without tilting the arm 'orfchanging the digging angle of the shovel. After the carriage has been moved forward carryin I the shovel into the material to be handle the second cylinder is operated to swin the shovel arm upward to a substantially l iori- /.ontal position, after which the framework is turned upon its axis to carry the shovel over a car or other receptacle which may be run in on a track paralleling the track upon I which the shovel truck is mounted. The,

shovel is preferably pivotedfupon the end.

of its supporting arm-and may be dumped" .by tiltingit, HoWever any type of shovelmight "be employed" such as one jgth at d-id notyrequire. to be tilted; in order. to -;be

ground, and 3 is a turntable mounted to turn upon the rollers 4 around the v'ertical'axis Secured to the turntable'is a superstructure or framework including the uprights y (S and. 7. I At the upper: portion of the" frame---- work is thetrack for thecarriage-comprise mg a-pair of horizontal I beams',8,, 8', which extend atr'the right hand" (iv-front end'of the machine out past the-truck.

Mounted upon this track' is a carriage of the construction indicated in Fig. 2. Such carriage comprises a pair of longitudinally extending bars 9, 9 lying inside of the I beams 8 and secured together by means of the transverse casting 10. At the four corners of the 'arriage are the brackets 11, 11 and 12, 12, such brackets being secured to the frame bars 9, 9 and extending down on both sides of the I beams as indicated in Fig. 2. These brackets carry the rollers 13 (Fig. 1) lying upon the outer sides of the I beams and being secured in position bv means of the bolts'14.

The carriage constitutes the means for supporting the shovel and the operating arm therefor. such operating arm being carried by the brackets 12, which as indicated in Fig. 2 extend down below theI beams and carry a transverse shaft 15. .Mounted upon this shaft are a pair of half pulley members 16, such pulley members being grooved to receive a cable or rope and carrying a. pair of downwardly extending bars .17, 17 secured to the pulley members by the bolt 18 and between the lugs 19 on the rims of the pulley members. The pulley. members in connection with the bars 17 constitute the shovel arm, the shovel being preferably of the half round type 20 having the digging edge 21 and pivoted'upon the bars 17 at 22.

The carriage is moved back and forth by meansof the cylinder 23 which is secured to the top of the pair of arm tilting cyli-nders 24. 21. (hereinafter described) by means of the bolts This cylinder 23 has a plunger and a piston rod 26 secured at its right, hand end to the cross bar of the carriage flf amework 10 by means of the nut 27. This cylinder as well as the other power cylinders hereinafter referred to may be operated either hydraulically or by compressed air depending on conditions. As shown in Fig. 1 the carriage is in its rearmost position and may be moved forward during the digging action a distance suchas to bring the front end of the carriage adjacent the right hand ends of the I beams. The means for tilting the shovel arm about its pivotal support 15 comprises the pair of cylinders 24 secured rigidly to the framework and facing to the left as indicated in The plungers 28 of these cylinders t" carry a non-rotatable transverse shaft 2!) upon which the pulleys 30, 30 are mounted for rotation, the plungers constituting the support for the shaft. The plungers are guided at their lower side upon a pair of guide rods 31. 31, such guide rods being supported as indicated in Fig. l, the left hand ends thereof being carried by the brackets 32 mounted upon the turntable, and the right hand ends thereof beingcarried by the brackets 33 depending from the lower sides of the cylinders 24.

Mounted upon the uprights 7 on each side of the machine are a pair of idler pulleys 34. On each side of the machine is a chain or-cable 35 whose left hand end extends around the half pulley16. and is secured at 36 to the lower portion of the pulley. Each cable extends around the pulley 30 and the pulley 34 and is secured by the clamp 3'7 to one of the side bars 9 of the carriage. It will be seen that when the cylinders 24 are operated to move the. pulleys 30 to the left,

the loops of the cables 35 will be lengthened or enlarged pulling the right hand ends of the cables to the left and swinging the lower end of the shovel arm with the shovel carriage (at 37, Fig. 2) so that when t-hecarriage moves to the right both ends of the cables move to the right at the same speed so that no tilting action is imposed upon the shovel arm by the cables 35. The shovel may therefore be moved forward as far as may be desired without changing its angle before the operation ofthe cylinders 24 to swing the shovel upward to discharge position.

Also mounted upon the shaft 15 is the cylinder 38 for tilting the shovel to discharge it after such shovel has been moved to horizontal position and the machine turned upon the turntable to bring the shovel over the'receiving car. This cylinder is provided with a suitable plunger and a piston 39 pivoted to the shovel at 10. A stop member 41 is also pivotally secured to the bars 17 at 42 and isadapted to engage the stop 43 upon the back of the shovel. This incans serves to-prevent the lower portion of the. shovel from swinging to the rear during the digging movement of the shovel and relieves the operating means 38 and 39 from such strain. lVhen the arm reaches the lat- .eral position indicated in Fig. 3, the stop which time the stop member will drop down to the position illustrated. This release movement of the shovel is incidental to the normal operation as air pressure is maintained in the cylinder on the forward side of the plunger until the shovel arrives at dumping position. If desired the stop member may be pulled positively out of engagement with the stop. This may be done by the use of a cord or chain44 secured at one end to the non-rotating shaft 15 and at the other end to the stop member 41, the slack in the cord being such that when the shovel arm reaches a certain position, the shorten ing of the cord due to winding around the engagement wit the stop.

during this 1nlovement x fthe;carriagev to the fact that both e ds" of the jrcttbls' 35 a move to the. right with thec'arriage as hereshaft would all the sto member out of he brackets 11, 11and12, 12 also carry rollers 13 upon the inner sides of the beams, the o enin s 14 being provided to permit of-the'msertionof the be g pins upon which the rollers 13 are mounte l The operation of. the. machine asa'whole is as follows.- *The a truckis" run up-to" a1 0- sition adjacent the material "tobe shove ed and a-receiving car iseither run in on .aarallel track and placed along the'side o the truck or runin'on a transversetrack-andv placed behing thetruck. The cylinder 23 is then operated causing the; carriage with its shovel arm to move forward carrying the? v shovelinto the material to; be shoveled.'- --'I he shovel maintains aiconstant' digging i'tr'iglgle ue tofore 'explained When '5 the shovel has progressed into the. material a sufiicient dis t'a nce to'- fill, thejforwajrd movement of the carriagefis stopped and the cylinders 24 are I operated ,to" cause {the shovel. arm to "swing upward, such movement being due to the I lengthening of the loops in the cables incident to the movement of the pulleys 30 to the left. During the movement of the shovel into the material it is held from turning by the stop member 41. When the shovel clears the material and while. still on its upward path the turntable is operated to carry the shovel over the receiving car so that the shovel 1s 1n position to -d1scharge when 11;

arrives over the receiving. can; '(.)n the-res. lease-of the stop means 41, the cylinder '38 is I operated to turn theshovel-to the position shown in Fig. 3. During the returnmovement'of the shove-l armtothe starting po'sition of Fig. 2, the cylinder 38 is operated'to" oscillate the shovel back to digging position, the stop member 41, at such time, dropping by gravity to holding position above the stop 43. I

The cylinder 23 is made of much less cross section and power than the cylinders 24, 24, so that in case the shovel strikes an obstacle which might result in breakage or in the stopping of the machine, the carriage will be crowded to the rear by the operation of the cylinders 24, 24 and the shovel will antomatically free itself of the obstruction.

ment of the carriage allows'the shovel to act --at a. different angle with respect to the ob- This result follows as the rearward movestruction.

It will be seen that the machine is of simple compact construction,- that it maybe operated rapidly and effectively, and that it requires a minimum amount of head room since the shovel arm does not have to swing above a horizontal position in moving to the position of discharge.

rew es-i WhatI claim is:

1. In combination ina'shovelingmachine, a carriage supporting frame wor mounted to turn around a vertical axis, a carriage mounted for reciprocation thereon, a swingng arm pivoted tov the carriage and carry- ,mg a shovel atfitsouter. end,'.power means 1 for reciprocating the carriage, other power means secured said framework, "a flexible operating means connected at one end-to said arm and at'its other end to saidcarriage, and

means engaging said flexible means intermediate itsends and operatedrby said other operated by said other power means for causmgthe ends of said-flexible means to approach each other, and power means mounted r upon the carriage and having connection with the shovel for causing the discharge thereof after the arm and framework have been moved to dumping position.

3. Iii-combination in-ashoveling machine,'= a truck, a superstructure; mounted thereon' to, swing. about a'vertlcal'a'xls, a horlzontal track mounted upon 'the upper portion of the superstructure extending out past.- and forward of the truck, a carriage mounted on the track,

a depending arm pivoted to the carriage and provided atlthe lower end with a shovel, a cylinder 1 and plunger for causing the forward .movement of the carriage without tilt-- ing the arm, a second cylinder and plunger on the superstructure" for swinging the arm forward and upward after said-carriage has third power cylinder and piston :carried by the arm for dumping it after it reaches discharge position.

4. In combination in a shoveling machine, a carriage supporting framework mounted to turn around a vertical axis, a carriage mounted for reciprocation thereon, a swinging arm 1)i"0t6(l to the carriage and carrying a shovel at its outer end, power means for reciprocating the carriage, other power means secured to said framework upon which the carriage is mounted, a flexible ope-rating means-having a loop therein and connected at one end to said arm and at its other end to said carriage, and means operated by said other power means for enlarging said loop and so causing a retraction of the end of the loop attached to the swinging arm,

been moved forward on said track, and a and other power means 5. In combination in a shoveling machine, a carriage sup orting framework mounted to turn aroun a vertical axis; a carriage mounted for reciprocation thereon a swing ing-arm pivoted to the carriage and carrying a shovel at its outer end, power 'means'for reciprocating the carriage, an idler pulley secured to said framework, a secon pulley mounted for movement toward and f m the idler pulle flexible means connected at one end to sai arm'and'at its other. end to. said carriage and extending around said pulleys,

for movingsaid second ulley. I

6. n combination in a shoveling machine, a truck, a superstructure mounted thereon to swing about avertical axis, a horizontal track upon'the upper portion of the superstructure extendingout past and forward of the truck," a carriage mounted on the track, [depending arm pivotedto the carriage and provide at its lower end with a shovel,' power. means for causing the forward movement of the carriage without tilting said arm, a second power'means for swinging the ,arm forward, and a prime mover carried by I the arm 'for caus ng thedischargeof the shovel.

7.111" combination -ina sl1oveling machine, a truck, a superstructure mounted thereon'to swing about a vertical axis, a

horizontal track upon'the upper portion of the superstructure extending out past and forward of the truck, acarriage mounted on the track, a depending arm pivoted to the carriage and provided at its lower end with a shovel pivoted thereon, power means for causing the forward movementof said carriage, a second means for swingin the arm forward, and power means for tllting the shovel with respect to the arm to discharge it after it arrives at discharge position.

8. In combination in a shoveling machine, a truck, a superstructure mounted thereon to swing about a vertical axis, a horizontal track upon the upper portion of the superstructure extending out past and forward of the truck, a carriage mounted on the track, a dependi-n arm pivoted to thecarriage and provide at its lower end with a shovel pivoted thereon, power means for causing the forward movement of the carriage, a second power means for swinging the arm forward, and a prime mover carried by the arm for tilting the shovel to discharge it.

9. In combination in a shoveling machine,

atruck, a superstructure mounted thereon to swing about avertical .axis, a horizontal track upon the upper portion of the superstructure extending out past and forward of the truck, a carriage mounted on the track, a depending arm pivoted thereon and provided at its lower end with a shovel piv- Oted thereon, power means for causing the forward movement of said carriage, a second power means for swmgmg the arm forward, a stop means for (preventing the shovel 10."In combination in .a shoveling machine, aswin'gin arm provided at its end with. a shovel pivoted thereto, means ,for-

moving the arm from an upright to a lateral position, stop means for preventing the lower'portion of the shovel fromtiltin to the rear during the movement from upright to lateral position, and means for tilting when the arm arrives at its lateral position and the stop means is released.

11. In combination in a shovelingmav chine, a SWlll mg arm provided at its'end with a shove plvoted thereto, means for moving thearm from an upright to a, lateral'position, stop means for preventing the .lower portlonof the shovel fromtiltin to the rear durlng the movement from upright to lateral position, said stop means-being moved by gravity to holdin position when the armis moved to uprig t position .and

said lower portion of the shovel to the rear being moved by gravity to release position i when the arm. reaches its lateral position,

and means for tilting said lower portion of the shovel to the rear when the arm arrives at its lateral position and the stop means is released.

12. In combination in a shoveling machine, a truck, a superstructure mounted thereon to swing about a vertlcal axis, a

1 horizontal track upon the uppe'rportion of the superstructure extending out past and forward of the truck, a carnage mounted on the track, a depending arm pivoted to the carriage and provided at its lowerend with a shovel pivotally connected to the arm, means for causlng the forward movement of the "carnage, other power means for swinging the arm forward and upward to approximately a horizontal position, and

power means for turning the shovel about its pivotal connection to dump it without further upward movement of the arm after the superstructure has been turned a partial revolution about itsvertical axis.

13. In combination in a shoveling ma- .chine, a truck, a superstructure mounted thereon to swing about a vertical axis, a horizontal track upon the upper portion of the superstructure extending out past and forward of the truck, a carriage mounted on he track, a depending arm pivoted to the carriage and provided with a shovel, power 'means for causing the forward movement of the carriage withouttilting said arm,

other power means for swinging the arm forward and upward to approximately ahorizontal position, and power means for tilting the shovel to dump it after the superstructure has been turned a partial revolution about its vertical axis and without any further upward movement of the arm.

14. In combination in a shoveling machine, a framework adapted to swing around a vertical axis, a laterally extending track upon the upper portion of the framework, a carriage mounted on the track, an arm pivoted to the carriage and provided at its free end with a shovel, a cylinder and plunger operating means secured to the framework, power means for moving the carriage back and forth, and connections between said operating means and the said arm for tilting the said arm arranged so that the back and forth movement of the carriage occurs without tilting said arm.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 22nd day of December, 1919.

FRANK H. ARMSTRONG. Witnesses RAYMOND TURNER, A. F. BROCKETT. 

